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President Barack Obama's speech last week promoted domestic oil, "clean coal" and nuclear power instead of expanded renewable energy, writes Derrick Z. Jackson. "President Obama seems increasingly drained of the juice needed to power up a modern vision on energy. Completely absent from his address this week at Georgetown University was his promise as a candidate to go after windfall profits of oil companies and reinvest the money into wind, solar, and biofuels," Jackson argues.

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An energy blueprint proposed by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, would have mixed implications for wind power, observers say. Although Murkowski supports clean-energy development, her call for a new definition of clean energy raises the prospect of "clean coal" being included in the mix. She supports allowing renewable-energy projects to qualify for master limited partnerships, but at the same time she wants to get rid of the industry's production and investment tax incentives, observers say.

An Idaho bill proposed by state Rep. Tom Loertscher would forbid the installation of wind farms within two miles of residential properties if property owners object. The measure would also prevent the construction of wind turbines that result in flickering shadows on private property.

President Barack Obama will conduct a town hall meeting at a Gamesa Technology facility in Philadelphia on Wednesday to discuss his plans for reducing the country's oil imports by a third by 2025. The meeting will be the third energy-related event by the president in one week, indicating that the issue could feature prominently in the White House's domestic plans, observers said.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said that he is willing to discuss any proposal for a clean-electricity standard that includes nuclear and "clean coal" technologies, as well as wind and solar. "If you can design a so-called clean-energy standard that still provided incentives to pursue renewable electricity ... then it is certainly worth looking at," said Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said that he is willing to discuss any proposal for a clean-electricity standard that includes nuclear and "clean coal" technologies, as well as wind and solar. "If you can design a so-called clean-energy standard that still provided incentives to pursue renewable electricity ... then it is certainly worth looking at," said Bingaman, who chairs the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.